Love You Forever
by lovelovelove22
Summary: Sequel to 'Painted'. Edward and Bella have gotten their dream, and their lives are never going to be the same.
1. Chapter 1

**Yes, this is the sequel to 'Painted', titled 'Love You Forever'. This first chapter is just a starter, I'm not going to update again until I finish one of my other stories, 'Best'. I really appreciate all your support for 'Painted', and I hope you continue to do so for this story.**

**This first chapter is in EPOV, and picks up right where 'Painted' left off.**

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EPOV

I was inking up one of my regular customers, Ben, when Bella peeked into the room, our son in her arms. "Hey, babe, Alice and I are taking Gavin on a walk." Bella said, her sweet voice lilting. "We'll be back later." She said. I momentarily put the needle down and kissed Bella on the lips, smiling as I did so.

"Okay, have fun. Love you, B." Then I turned back around and continued my work as Bella turned on her heel.

"Love you too." She said simply, leaving the room.

I refocused on the work I was doing on Ben's arm, and he glanced towards the door that Bella had just disappeared from. "That's your girlfriend, right? Bella?" He asked, his voice rough and hoarse from smoking. I nodded without looking up, smiling instantly at the mention of Bella.

"She's my wife." I corrected. "We've been married for two years now, and we have a son." I said, glancing up at Ben momentarily and smiling. "She's amazing." I added, smiling like a fool very much in love, which I obviously was. I wasn't afraid to admit it, either. It was true that Bella and Gavin were the best things that had ever happened to me, and I would put everything else on the line for either of them.

The day Gavin was born…it had been the day that had totally changed our lives. We had wanted a baby for such a long time, and when we finally had him, it was almost overwhelmingly perfect. Bella had looked so beautiful holding our son in her arms for the first time, even though she had been exhausted and sore. And then we had taken Gavin home the next day, and I was in awe of Bella. Of course, I usually was in awe of my wife, but this wasn't the same. Seeing her taking care of our son; holding him, whispering in his ear, nursing him, was unbelievable. Bella was meant to be a mother, I knew it. She looked so complete whenever she was with Gavin. It was like she was in her true element.

And I was also in awe of my son. Seeing him grow and develop was phenomenal. I couldn't believe how quickly he seemed to be growing up, even though he was only thirteen months old. I felt like he was growing up far too fast, and I really didn't want to see him go. Although I knew that there would be plenty of trouble ahead of us, I was admittedly excited to go through all the stages of raising our son, especially with Bella at my side. Everything she did turned me to mush these days, and I wasn't ashamed of that. In my eyes, there was absolutely nothing wrong with being so infatuated with someone, even more so when that someone was Isabella Cullen. She was simply fascinating in everything that she did, including seemingly mundane things like cleaning the apartment or caring for Gavin or sleeping. I loved every second of my life with her, and I wished that I was able to take it all in better.

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When I got back up to the apartment that night, I could hear Bella moving around in the kitchen, and Alice was sitting on the couch with Gavin on her lap. In one simple movement, Alice turned around to look at me and Gavin slipped right off her lap, tumbling to the floor. I was at his side in an instant, trying to comfort him as he started screaming.

"God fucking dammit, Alice!" I snapped, scooping Gavin up and trying to sooth him as I examined his head, because he was clasping his hand over his forehead as he howled. Bella practically flew into the room from the kitchen, a hot pad in her hand.

"I'm so sorry! He slid right off my lap!" Alice said tearfully, but I continued to fume at her.

It wasn't right to be so angry with her, but I wasn't thinking straight and I just wanted someone to blame. "Do me a favor, Alice, and just stay away from me right now." I snarled, trying to look at Gavin's head again. As I tried to look, he squirmed for Bella. But she was staring at me with her hands on her hips.

"Edward, cool off!" She said sharply, putting her arm around Alice's shaking shoulders. "She didn't mean to let him fall, okay? He's going to be fine, he's not even bleeding. It's just a bump." She said her voice still sharp.

I didn't say anything, just moved Gavin's hand out of the way so that I could get a good look at his head. When I saw that he was indeed okay, my tense shoulders relaxed and I handed Gavin over to Bella. "I'm so sorry Alice…I just freaked out." I admitted, giving Alice a hug. She wiped her eyes and smiled weakly at me.

"It's fine…I'm sorry to." She said softly, and then turned to Bella. "I'm going to get going…I had a lot of fun today." Bella shot me a dirty look, blaming me for her friend leaving, but Alice shook her head. "Don't fight about this, seriously. It was an accident, and Edward just overreacted a little bit. Can you blame him? He was here when Gavin fell, he saw him hit his head."

With Alice's words, Bella visibly relaxed and I cautiously put my arm around her waist. "Thank you, Alice. And I really am sorry." I said honestly as she kissed my cheek, then Bella's, and then Gavin's. His face was still red and scrunched up, but be had stopped crying. We said goodbye to Alice, and then were alone in the apartment. "Hey, I am sorry." I said in a low voice, skimming my lips against Bella's forehead.

"It's fine." She muttered looking up at me and shaking her head, a small smirk on her lips as she looked back down at our son, who had burrowed his head against her chest. "Just please don't overreact like that again, okay? Alice is already insecure enough with kids, and she was just getting into the groove of things. But thank you for apologizing." Bella gave me a quick kiss on the lips and then tapped my nose. "Let's just have dinner, okay?"

I nodded, following my wife and son into the kitchen with a smile on my face.

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As we lay in bed that night, Bella rested her head on my chest and stared up at the ceiling, obviously deep in thought. "What's on your mind, B?" I asked, kissing the top of her head and running my fingers through her long hair.

"I was just thinking that you and I haven't had a one on one date night for a long time." She murmured, and I realized that it was true. We had gone out plenty of times lately, but it had always been with Gavin in tow. We were insanely in love with our son, but it was true that we could use a little time to ourselves.

"You're right. Maybe…we could have a date night tomorrow?" I asked hopefully, and Bella _mmmed _under her breath. "We could ask Alice and Jasper to babysit, and maybe they could take Gavin to their place and we could have a little alone time." I propositioned.

Bella grinned and rolled over on her stomach, her smile playful and loving. "That…sounds…amazing." She said in a low husky voice, kissing me with promises of 'alone time' to come.

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**What do you all think? Please review with your input?**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	2. Chapter 2

**Go vote in the 'Cougar Revolution' contest!**

**http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/u/2230877**

**I can't tell you which story is mine, but go and read the stories and then vote for your favorite three. The voting ends on March 22, so get on over there and do it now!**

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BPOV

I watched Edward out of the corner of my eye as he and Jasper talked quietly. Alice and Jasper had come to pick Gavin up and take him to their house for a sleepover so that Edward and I could have our date night. Alice was nervous, especially after yesterday, so I was trying to talk her through what she would have to do tonight with Gavin to get him to eat, take a bath, and go to sleep.

"Okay, Alice, don't freak out." I soothed her. "He's going to be fine. Now, he can only walk a few steps, but he can walk with help so if you want, you can do that. He can drink from his cup on his own, and if you want to give him something to do he can color with crayons or markers. But beware- once you give Gavin something to color, your whole fridge will be covered in his artwork." I laughed, but Alice only nodded, paying close attention to what I had to say. "For dinner, just cut him up some soft food and give it to him on a plate, he can feed himself. And I already told you about the cup thing…oh! And he's got this new obsession with trying to slide out of the high chair. Just make sure to strap him in good enough and he won't be able to." I informed her, looking over my shoulder to where Gavin was playing on the floor.

"What about for his bath?" Alice asked, and I smiled at her.

"Just test the water first and make sure it's not too hot…and he'll just want to play in the water, which is fine as long as you clean him up first." I instructed. "Gavin is a good baby, Alice. He won't give you any trouble." I assured her, but Alice still looked nervous. "When you put him to bed he likes you to read to him first, but he mostly just likes looking at the pictures. I put his favorite book in here." I leaned over and picked up Gavin's bag, handing it to Alice for her to take with them. "And once he falls asleep, I doubt he'll wake up. You know how to get him ready in the morning, so just bring him up when you and Jazz get to the shop."

Alice nodded once more, tapping her temple. "Got it." She said, taking a deep breath and then turning to where Gavin was still playing. "Gavin!" She called, her high pitched voice sounding sweet. "Do you want to go with Uncle Jasper and Alice?" Alice asked him, and he just looked at me with confusion, still gripping his toy tightly in his pudgy hands.

"Come on, Gavin." I said, leaning over and picking him up. I planted a wet, sloppy kiss on his cheek before handing him over to Alice. "You're having a sleepover with Uncle Jazz and Alice!" I said, and Gavin leaned his head against Alice's chest, obviously feeling comfortable with her.

After saying our goodbyes, Edward and I closed the door behind the three of them, and then turned to each other with expectant smiles on our faces. In a instant, we were wrapped up in each other's arms, kissing passionately and with fervor. Edward groaned into my mouth and started tugging at my shirt, but I stopped things at that point. "Let's eat." I said softly, and Edward stared at me, his eyebrows furrowed.

I tapped his nose with my index finger before taking his hand and leading him into the kitchen, where our dinner was waiting. "Later." I assured him as we sat down at the table. "I miss him, but it's nice to be alone." I remarked softly, taking a bite of my spaghetti.

Edward nodded, agreeing with me. He reached across the table and took my hand, gently running the pad of his thumb across my ring. After we got married, Edward and I had wanted to keep the plain rings we had exchanged, but after Gavin was born Edward surprised me by letting me order something online from Tiffany's. I loved the ring not only because it was from Edward, but because it was unique and special. The band was silver and the cluster of diamonds formed a flower shape. It was perfect and beautiful. "I love you." I whispered softly, standing up slightly and leaning over to kiss Edward chastely. "You are everything I could ever dreamed of…you're the man of my dreams." Edward and I weren't usually so mushy and lovey dovey, but when the moment was right, we could be.

Gently squeezing my hand, Edward kept his eyes trained on my wedding ring as he spoke quietly. "Bella, you aren't the woman of my dreams…you're better. You're _real_." He said, his voice heavily laved with emotion. His beautiful eyes met mine, and we smiled peacefully at each other.

"You are such a good father, such a good husband…thank you." I said.

"Thank _you_." Edward said firmly, bringing my hand up to his lips and kissing it gently. "Bella, you look so beautiful…you're _glowing_." He said, and I grinned, knowing that this was the perfect moment to tell him our news.

With another smile, I rubbed one of his hands between both of mine. "That's probably because I just found out that I'm pregnant." I said in a low voice, and Edward's face broke out into a huge smile that made my heart soar.

"I _love _you!" Edward said happily, standing up and pulling me out of my chair and into his arms. He kissed me firmly. "God, Bella, I can't wait to have another baby with you…I love you and Gavin so much." Edward said, placing kisses on my cheeks, nose, and forehead. "When did you find out?" He asked me, cradling me in his arms.

"Just a few days ago." I said, grinning as Edward walked me backwards into our bedroom, his hands running up and down my body carefully. His eyes were full of lust, making me shiver excitedly. Every time we were together like this, he made me feel like I was going to explode. The way the he touched me and loved me was so stunningly perfect, and I couldn't believe I had found my perfect match when I was eighteen years old. How had I ever managed to get so lucky?

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**Just a heads up, I'm never really going to detail when Edward and Bella have sex. It will be more descriptive then this chapter was, but I really am not into writing stuff like that. If anyone wants to write a sex scene for me, feel free and either pm it to me or ask for my email.**

**Oh, and I have a new story out. It's called 'Eye of the Beholder' and has one chapter up. Go look at it if you have the time. And don't forget to vote in the contest mentioned in the top A/N!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	3. Chapter 3

**Again, don't forget to go and vote in the 'Cougar Revolution' contest!**

**http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/u/2230877**

**Still can't tell you which one is mine, but go and check them all out anyway and make sure to vote before the twenty second…which is tomorrow.**

**Also, my birthday is coming up April Eighth! I'm pumped!**

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BPOV

We lay in bed together that night, our arms and legs still intertwined as I rested my head on Edward's chest. Lazily, I kissed up and down the two tattoos over his heart, the ones bearing my name and our son's name. Edward sighed contently, his hand massaging my scalp, twisted in my hair. "Have you ever wanted to leave this apartment?" Edward suddenly asked, and I halted my kisses, lifting my head up and raising my eyebrows at my husband.

"What do you mean, leaving this apartment?" I questioned, and Edward sighed. He sat up in bed, leaning against the pillows and pulling me up along with him.

"I mean like getting a new apartment. Or maybe…maybe even a house."

I hesitated, my eyebrows still raised. "You want to move? We've lived here together for almost twelve years…why now? It's right above the shop and I love this apartment so much and this is the home we brought Gavin home to! And do you think we'll be able to handle a mortgage when I'm not working?" I blabbed on and one, and Edward put one of his fingers up to my lip. Honestly, his left ring finger was my favorite of his long fingers. For one, it held his wedding ring, and for another, he had a tattoo reading 'E/B/G'. Soon, he would have another initial to add to the list.

"Hush." Edward murmured, his velvet voice like music to my ears. "It was just a suggestion, B. I was thinking that with a new baby in the apartment, things would get a little cramped. But if you don't want to move, that's fine. A lot of things have happened to us in this apartment, and I get that." He said, and I smiled when his hand dropped from my waist and slid down my thigh, gently touching the tattoo on my inner thigh. "Remember the night you got this?" He asked, and I grinned at his deliciously husky voice.

"Of course I do." I whispered, reaching down and putting my small hand on top of his large one. "You _refused _to have sex with me after I got it."

Edward laughed, his fingers still dancing over my inked inner thigh. "B, as your boyfriend, I wanted to jump and you fuck you silly. But as your tattoo artist…I needed to have some control. I didn't want to look at some fucked up ink for the rest of my life.

I smiled happily at him, and he smiled back. "Even then, you knew?" I asked softly, and Edward nodded. When I had gotten my _EC_ tattoo, we had only been dating for about eight months and he had finally worn me down into getting one. Edward had been shocked when I told him what I wanted, especially since we had _just_ started saying 'I love you' about a month before. Then, I had known that I was in love, but I had not known that we would end up like this, married with a one year old son and another baby on the way. I had just been living in the moment.

"I knew, B." Edward murmured, kissing my neck gently. His hand left my thigh then and travelled back up to my belly, palming the area where our baby was growing. He pressed down gently and lovingly, and I sighed in contentment. "What do you think Gavin is going to think of his new sibling?" He asked curiously, and I laughed, brushing my hair out of my face.

"Do you think he'll even know what's going on?" I asked, and Edward shrugged his shoulders and continued to nip at my neck.

"Probably. I bet he'll be a great big brother, and protective." He laughed. "Imagine if this is a girl, B. Gavin is _really_ protective over his toys, so what do you think he'll do when boys start coming on to his little sister?" I giggled, shaking my head, and Edward paused. "I feel _really _old." Edward suddenly said.

I shook my head at him, holding back a laugh. "Edward, you're only thirty two years old. You're far from old. Just becauseI'm _so _much younger than you doesn't mean you're old, baby."

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about, B!" Edward pinched my cheek playfully, grinning at me boyishly. "You're almost _thirty_. Am I going to have to find myself a younger woman?" He teased, and I elbowed him in the ribs. Edward groaned and started laughing, flopping back onto his back and pulling me down with him. "Okay, okay. I guess I'll keep you around. You are the mother of my children, after all." I nodded, and rubbed my stomach again.

"You know what?" I asked softly, and Edward cocked his head at me, silently asking for my answer. "The mother of your children _really _would like some ice cream. And she wants her old-man husband to go get it for her." I said, giggling and rolling away from him and onto my stomach, burying myself in pillows and blankets and some of Gavin's stuffed animals.

Edward stood up and pressed a kiss to my temple before leaving the room wordlessly. I sat up slightly and watched him walk away, admiring him from behind. "Hey, sexy, bring me a soda, too!" I called after him, and then rolled back over onto my back, kicking off all of my cumbersome covers. Edward returned soon after, holding a pint of chocolate ice cream, a plastic spoon, and a bottle of soda. "The man of my dreams." I teased lovingly, and Edward smirked.

"How the hell do all these stuffed animals get in our bed?" He asked incredulously as he slid under the covers and kicked some stuffed animals to the floor.

"When you work late or go out with Jazz and Em, I get lonely and let Gavin sleep in our bed. And he really likes stuffed animals." I explained, grabbing the ice cream out of his hands. "Thanks." I said ripping the top off and shoveling chocolate ice cream into my mouth. Edward watched me for a moment, a cocky smirk on his face.

"Mmm, that is _so_ sexy." He said teasingly, reaching over and wiping ice cream off of my nose, chin, and lips.

I wiggled my eyebrows at him but continued to eat. "I'm _starved_." I complained, taking the soda from him and taking a big swig. "Which is weird, because we had the huge dinner and Alice and I went out to lunch with Rosalie."

Edward perked up at the mention of his brother's girlfriend. "Emmet and Rosalie…are they actually serious? It's been two years now. They met on the plane back from Vegas, right? The day after we got married?" Again, I nodded, not bothering to stop eating my ice cream. "That's weird." Edward mused. "I thought Emmet had sworn to be a bachelor for life."

"We swore we would never get married." I pointed out, still refusing to stop eating. "And we did. I think Emmet just never found anyone until he met Rose. Let's face it, Emmet is a lot to take in. He's quite the wild child." Edward nodded, looking deep in thought.

"Maybe Rosalie is changing him." He said softly, and then gently kissed me on the lips. "Because I know that you changed me…forever."

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**Please review!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm glad you guys like the story! I was originally going to update this tomorrow, but I managed to get it out tonight! Let me know what you think!**

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BPOV, Three Months Later:

I had forgotten how much I liked being pregnant. I know a lot of woman hate it; the weight gain, the aches and pains, and all of the strange things going in your body. But I loved it. When I had been pregnant with Gavin, I had been absolutely terrified. I knew that Edward and I wouldn't be able to handle another miscarriage, and that if we did lose another baby, it could very well be the end of our relationship as we knew it. But I hadn't gone through another miscarriage, and Gavin made us happier than we had ever expected.

This time around, I'm taking things in a little better. And it's _beautiful_. I'm not too crazy about gaining weight and all the negative side effects of pregnancy, but I have to admit that the whole process really is an amazing miracle. I'm almost five months pregnant now, and I'm bigger than I was at this stage with Gavin, and for good reason. When I went for my last ultrasound, the doctor revealed that we were expecting _twins_. Twins. There were two of them. After learning about our little babies, I reluctantly agreed with Edward, admitting that we really did need to move. The apartment only had two bedrooms and one bathroom, so things would get way too cramped once we had three children, not just one.

It felt strange, saying that. I no longer was the mother of one child. I had _three _babies. Things in our life were getting a little harder now, though. Once we found out we were expecting twins, we had to sell our apartment. Since Emmet and Jasper and Edward owned the building, Jasper and Alice decided that they would take the apartment. That made things easier, but then we had to find a new apartment or house for ourselves. Considering that we wanted at least three bedrooms, we decided that maybe a house would be best for us. But then we also needed to find a safe neighborhood, a place with a big yard, and somewhere close enough to the shop so that Edward could commute. That was a big issue. The shop was downtown, and there were no houses fitting our criteria nearby.

So we did the unthinkable. We decided to buy a house in the _suburbs_. Edward had been repulsed at first, and I didn't blame him, because he didn't exactly fit into the suburb stereotype. He was an inked up, pierced badass tattoo artist. But he was _my _inked up, pierced badass tattoo artist. So he did it for me and our family. Gavin, who was only nineteen months old now, was only focusing on the fact that Edward kept telling him he could have a swing set.

My son was adorable. His favorite word was 'no', but he always said 'mama', 'dada', 'ali', and 'toy', as well as a few other simple words. Gavin awed me with every single development. I loved it so much, and I had documented every step of the way. It was all so important to me, and Edward as well. Sometimes, when we felt like the world was picking up pace, we would just sit down and look through the pictures we had taken through the span of our son's young life.

Now that we found the house that we wanted, our entire life had become a flurry of activity, even more so than before. Our apartment was all packed up, and today was the big day. I was nervous about having a mortgage, especially when I didn't work. Owning a building had been one thing, because it had been between two other people. But this was a _house_. With a yard, and a swing set, a two car garage, and neighbors. It was a big deal for us. Edward, however, seemed to love it. He and Emmet and Jasper had been working all morning, stacking up boxes and loading them into Emmet's jeep and Jasper's truck. Alice and Rosalie and Gavin and I were already at the house, and the guys had been already brought by a few boxes for us to unload.

Gavin had fallen asleep shortly after lunch, and he was curled up on the couch now as Alice, Rosalie, and I were unpacking what we could. The furniture had gotten here earlier this morning, and although it still needed to be rearranged, it was all here and ready to go. This was really stressful, but taking things one thing at a time, like Edward had advised me to do, was really helping with my stress levels. It was also hard for me to move around a lot thanks to my huge stomach and swollen ankles, but I was managing just fine. Alice and I took this time to bond with Rosalie a little bit, because she seemed to be a really important part of Emmet's life now. I know that for a long time they were just casually dating, but things between them have become more serious. And Emmet was amazing; he deserved to be happy with someone else.

"More boxes!" Jasper, Emmet, and Edward burst through the open front door of the new house, each of them laden with heavy boxes. They dumped them on the floor, and then Edward ambled over to me, immediately resting his hands on my stomach.

"Hey, beautiful." He said serenely, pecking me on the lips and looking around the living room. "How goes the unpacking?" Edward asked, and I shrugged my shoulders.

"Not too bad." I sighed. "It's going to take us forever, though." I murmured, and then cast a glance at our sleeping son. "And I don't think Gavin is exactly adjusting well." I gestured to our son, and Edward smirked at him, shaking his head. "He went outside with Alice with morning and literally just ran around in circles for like an hour. Well, more like stumbled. I think the poor thing inherited my clumsiness. I was even more klutzy when I was a kid."

Edward snorted, kissing the top of my head. "Love, I don't think that's possible."

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**Sorry this is short…I'm going to bed. Please review!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hola chicas y chicos! Como esta? Estoy muy bien!**

**Okay, so on to the real A/N that is not in Spanish. I'm guessing right now that this story will be roughly twenty to twenty five chapters, but it will probably turn out being less. My outline is a little messy right now, so who knows? I hope you're all liking the story…Edward and Bella are going to find out the sex of their twins in this chapter!**

**I won't be updating over this next week- I have a week off from work and my husband and I are going to spend it in Maine to get a little relaxation in before Baby Bee is born. Yeah, we've started calling the kid in my stomach 'Bee'. We do know that it's a girl and she's nicely sized and healthy, though. The little bundle of joy, who I shall permanently refer to as 'Bee', is due May 26. So my updates are slowly going to become less and less frequent, but I'm sure there will be some days I shall be able to update to my heart's content ;)**

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BPOV

My five month pregnant belly was _huge_. And because I had two babies inside me this time, I was constantly noticing how much bigger I was getting in this pregnancy. Edward sat next to me as we waited for Dr. Clearwater to come into the ultrasound room. Today's appointment was a big deal- we were finding out the sex of our babies today, and we were anxious. Edward thought that it was two girls, and I thought it was one boy and one girl. We'd be finding out now, and I was convinced I was right this time.

Dr. Clearwater came breezing into the room, smiling at the both of us. "Hello, Bella, Edward." She greeted us, sitting down in her chair and picking up thy should wehe ultrasound gel. "Five months along now, how are you doing, Bella?" She asked as I laid back on the table. As a reflex, I gripped Edward's hand tightly in mine when Dr. Clearwater started to smear gel on my bare stomach.

"I'm doing good." I said easily, closing my eyes briefly. "My ankles have been really swollen lately, but that's it."

"Just make sure to get some rest and stay off your feet if it gets bad." Dr. Clearwater advised me, and then picked up the ultrasound wand and waved it around. "Ready to find out?" She asked, and Edward and I both nodded eagerly. Dr. Clearwater placed the wand down and Edward and I looked at each other joyfully as the sound of little heartbeats met our ears. "There are the heartbeats…both sound strong, which is just great." Dr. Clearwater murmured, not looking away from the screen. "One baby is bigger than the other, but that's totally normal, actually that's usually what happens with twins." She assured us. "And here we go…this one is obviously a boy." Dr. Clearwater pointed to the screen, and my eyes immediately filled with tears. "And this one…" Dr. Clearwater paused for a moment, moving the wand around before pointing to the screen again. "That one is a girl." She revealed, smiling broadly and turning around to face Edward and I.

Edward was grinning and so was I, neither of us able to contain our excitement and relief. And why should we? These babies, these little miracles, were going to be born in four short months.

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As we pulled back into the driveway of our new house, I noticed a group of women standing next to the mailbox at the house across the street, holding coffee mugs in their hands and talking back and forth. "Welcome to the suburbs, B." Edward said lightly, leaning over across the center console of the car and giving me a light kiss.

"Haha." I laughed dryly, swatting him on the arm as he got out of the car quickly and opened my car door for me. "Thank you." I said, taking his hand as he helped me out of the car. It was difficult to step up out of the car when I was so hugely pregnant, and I appreciated the help from my wonderful husband. As we walked towards the house Edward kept his hand on the small of my back, and I glanced over my shoulder and saw that the women were still congregated at the mailbox, talking and looking over at Edward and I. Self-consciously, I waved with a small smile and stopped walking, turning around slightly. They all paused for a moment, and then slowly started coming towards Edward and I. "This is weird." I muttered, and Edward chuckled softly as the four women approached us.

The tallest of the four women, a tan skinned brunette, stepped forward first, extending her hand towards us for a handshake. "Hello, I'm Maria. Welcome to the neighborhood." She said.

"Hello." I said shaking her hand. "I'm Bella Cullen, and this is my husband Edward." I introduced ourselves as Edward and Maria shook hands.

Maria smiled widely, and then gestured to the three women behind her. "This is Angela, Lauren, and Charlotte. I live next door, Angela lives down the street, Lauren lives on the other side of your house, and Charlotte lives on the corner over there." She pointed to each house, and I just nodded. It was nice to know, but I really didn't care. "So, where did you move from?" She persisted, and Edward checked his watch.

"Excuse me, ladies, I have an appointment in a half an hour. It was nice meeting you. B, I'll pick Gavin up from Alice on my way back." He said, pecking me on the lips and then waving halfheartedly at the other women. I watched him go, and then turned back to the four women standing before me.

"Uh, Edward and I used to live downtown." I explained, and then looked towards the house. "Would you like to come inside? It's a little messy, but we could sit down if you want…" They quickly agreed, and we filed into the house. Rosalie and Alice and I had managed to get the majority of the kitchen unpacked, even though Gavin's cooking toys were piled in the corner and he had already started decorating the fridge with his original drawings. "Sorry about the mess." I said, waving my hands around as the five of us sat down at the kitchen table.

Maria, who was obviously the leader of the group, laughed. "Oh, it's alright. You've clearly got kids, though. How many?" She asked, a smile on her face.

I smiled back, because I loved my children dearly. "Our son Gavin is nineteen months old and we're expecting twins in four months." I informed them, sitting back in my chair, relieved to be off my feet again.

Lauren spoke up this time, pushing her blonde hair back behind her ears. "Your husband is _gorgeous._" She said, unabashed. "You're into the tattoos, huh?" She said, and I raised my eyebrows slightly. Lauren faltered a little when Maria elbowed her in the ribs. "I mean, he's just got a lot of them…all over his arms and stuff." Lauren amended halfheartedly.

"It's not really the tattoos I care about." I said, shrugging my shoulders. "I mean, yeah, I like them, but that's not exactly what I love about my husband. Tattoo's are just the stories of our lives, painted on our skin for all to see." I said simply, and Angela, the awkward looking but pretty women with brown hair, smiled serenely.

"Nicely put." She said, casting a look at Lauren and rolling her eyes.

"He's cute, by the way. Nice catch." Charlotte added, and we all laughed. "We'll have to have you and Edward over for one of our gatherings sometime soon." She said, and the others all nodded in agreement. We continued to talk for about fifteen minutes, and I was practically fighting to keep my eyes open. Finally Marie must have noticed, and then looked at the clock on the wall.

"Sorry, Bella, but we've got places to be. It was really nice meeting you, though. I'm sure we'll be seeing plenty of you around the neighborhood." I nodded, a little relieved to have them all gone. I waved them to the door, waving as the four women set off down the sidewalk. Just before they reached the street, Maria turned around and waved again, a big grin on her face. "Welcome to the neighborhood."

------

**I'm tired…Jensen and I have to leave early tomorrow morning for our trip! Goodnight, and please review!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	6. Chapter 6

**So I'm to the point that I'm just running on auto pilot…we'll have to see how this chapter turns out, I guess. Jensen and I had a **_**great **_**time in Maine, it was a lot of fun. But I'm almost eight months pregnant now and I just want to sleep and lay around now, so no more road trips for us =(. We love road trips with a deep passion. They are our true favorite past time, I'm not even kidding you. We'll be sitting at home on a Friday night, bored, and Jensen will say 'What do you want to do?', and I'll pull out a map, flip to a page and say 'Let's go to Maine', which happens to be exactly what we did two weeks ago!**

**But yeah, here's your update. Enjoy…sorry for the slight delay, though. Obviously, things got busy. **

-----

BPOV

Edward came into the house, toting Gavin in one arm and a gift wrapped bag in the other. "Hey, B." He called, setting Gavin down on his feet. Immediately, Gavin toddled off to his play-set in the corner of the kitchen. Edward walked over to me, kissing my cheek. "Sorry I took so long." He said apologetically. "How were the neighbor's?" Edward asked, and I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, they just _loved_ your tattoos." I said sarcastically, and Edward chuckled, wrapping his arms around me and kissing the top of my head. "They seemed nice." I finally amended, leaning my head on his shoulder. "But I don't know…I kind of miss not having any neighbors. It was nice to just be on our own, I guess." I sighed, and Edward nodded his head. Both of us were watching Gavin, who was playing contently. "My feet are killing me." I said softly, shifting my weight. "I need to sit down." Edward immediately guided me over to the kitchen table, and sat down as well, pulling my swollen feet into his lap. "Thanks." I said softly, closing my eyes as Edward started to gently rub my feet.

He hummed quietly under his breath, and everything else was quiet except for the sound of Gavin playing. That would be different in a few months. We would have two new babies in the house, who would both require near constant attention. I was fine with that, but I didn't want Gavin to think that Edward and I were abandoning him. He was just shy of two years old, but he had always been at the center of our lives. Before we conceived the twins, Gavin had been our one and only baby. I wondered if he would understand about his new siblings, and wondered how he would react to them.

Edward had told Gavin that he was going to be a big brother several times, but I know that Gavin was too young to really understand what that meant. I imagined that he would be surprised when there were suddenly two more babies in the house screaming and crying for Edward and I's attention. "Gavin." I said softly, opening my eyes. Gavin looked up from his toys, his eyes wide and curious. "Come over here, baby." I said, and Gavin obediently toddled over to my side, lifting up his arms for me to pick him up. Edward clucked his tongue disapprovingly as I hoisted Gavin up onto my lap.

"Be careful, B." He warned, continuing to rub my feet.

I nodded, pulling Gavin to my chest and kissing the top of my head. "Did you have fun with Aunt Ali and Uncle Jazz?" I asked him, running my fingers through his short auburn hair. Gavin smiled up at me happily, kicking his feet. "Are you going to be a big brother?" I asked him, and Gavin was quiet, looking down. "You are." I said, trying to sound enthusiastic. I glanced up to see Edward staring at me, his eyebrows furrowed.

"What's wrong?" He asked, and I sniffled loudly, trying not to start crying.

"I don't want him to think we love the twins more than we love him!" I explained tearfully, holding Gavin as close as I could, given my swollen belly. "I can't even hold him all the way anymore! We'll have to focus so much of our lives on the twins, and I don't want him to feel like he's being left out of anything." I added, and Edward stopped rubbing my feet.

I heard the chair move across the chair, and then Edward was kneeling next to my chair with one arm around Gavin and the other around my waist. "Hey." He said softly, reaching up to stroke my cheek and wipe away some of my tears. "That's not how it's going to be. I know the twins will take up a lot of our time, but I _know_ you'll balance things between them in Gavin. B, you're an amazing mother. That doesn't just fade away, right? And Gavin…" Edward looked down at Gavin, smiling slightly. "He's going to be fine. I'm sure he'll love his siblings. And he's too young to know any differently."

"You really think so?" I asked softly, and Edward laughed, nodding and kissing me softly on the lips.

"Yeah, I really think so." He said, and then scooped Gavin off of my lap and into his arms. "Gavin and I will make you dinner, okay? You go and lay down, we'll be in with your food in a little while."

And with that, I stood up and went into our bedroom, closing the door behind me and practically collapsing when I finally got the chance to lie down.

-----

Two Months Later:

"I feel like I'm ready to pop, and I still have two months to go." I complained, sitting up in bed as Edward brought my breakfast to me. I had been put on bed rest a week ago, and I already felt like I was losing it. Gavin had to be watched everyday by either Alice or Jasper, because I couldn't take care of him when I was sentenced to bed all day. When Edward woke up early in the morning he would put Gavin in our bed, but that was most of the cuddle time I got with my son. We usually all ate dinner and breakfast together in the bedroom, but some foods were too messy for Gavin to eat when he wasn't in his highchair.

Edward had told me we could balance the twins and Gavin, but I already felt like Gavin was becoming less of a priority, and I didn't like it.

"You know the doctor might induce you sooner." Edward reminded me, and I just wrinkled my nose as he and Gavin sat down on the bed. Gavin started munching on his cheerio's, while Edward handed me my bowl of cereal. "How are you feeling?" he asked me, brushing my hair out of my eyes.

"Tired. Achy. But otherwise, fine." I said through a yawn, and then began digging into my breakfast.

Two months to go. Thank goodness.

-----

**Getting restless, just like me! Not sure how many chapters are left, but I don't think it will be anymore than ten or so. Please review and let me know what you thought!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	7. Chapter 7

**It's been a little while, huh? Sorry about that…got distracted with real life and other stories as well. But thanks for being so patient with me through all of this. I think we only have like two chapters left after this one, considering I designed the whole sequel to just be fluffy with a HEA. I thought it would run longer…but it definitely won't. After this one there will probably only be a few chapters left for the story. **

**I have a new story out. It's called "Such Difference" and it was just uploaded the other day. As always, it's E/B and I have had the story stuck in my head for about a month now. But go and check it out if you've got the time. It would be much appreciated!**

**This chapter is not so fluffy. In fact, it's a little rough in some parts. But don't worry, it will all work out in the end!**

……

BPOV, One Month Later (Eight Months Pregant)

It was too soon for me to go into labor, but that was exactly what was happening. It had happened in the middle of the night, so Edward had to get Gavin ready as well before he could drive me to the hospital. Alice and Jasper met us there and stayed with Gavin in the waiting room, and I had been in labor for almost ten hours now. Apparently it was getting to be too much, though, so I was being wheeled in for an emergency c-section. My doctor was especially concerned with the fact that the girl baby was a lot smaller than the boy baby, and because her lungs were probably more underdeveloped. Edward and I had to brace ourselves for the fact that we would have to watch our daughter and maybe even our son be put on a ventilator.

That was extremely scary for both of us.

Edward had left the room when the doctor announced I would be needed a c-section, and I could see how unsure he was. He had called his parents and Carlisle as soon as I went into labor, and they had really wanted to be here for the birth. But that wasn't really what was bothering him; I knew he had the same fears that I did.

"They said they're going to do it now." Edward appeared in the doorway of my room, wearing a pair of scrubs.

"Okay." I whispered, and remained quiet and scared as I was wheeled down to the operating room. Edward walked next to me, his hand wrapped tightly around mine. "I'm really scared." I whispered, so no one else but Edward could hear me.

He glanced over at me, his mouth pulled down in a frown. "I know, B. I am too. But it's going to be just fine. They'll have to stay in the NICU for a little while…and then the four of us will be home with Gavin and everything will go back to normal." He murmured, squeezing my hand for reassurance. "It's going to be okay. I love you." Edward added, just as we reached the operating room.

My doctor came in just as I felt the medication kicking in, and I tried to pay attention as the entire procedure was explained to Edward and I. My husband's hand was still warm around mine, but I could feel numbness eventually spreading all throughout my body. And then, I could hardly feel anything at all.

EPOV

I was torn between watching the doctor and watching Bella. This was all happening way too fast; I couldn't think, I couldn't process anything…I couldn't take it all in. Bella was having the twins _now_, when she was just over eight months pregnant. We knew they would be small even if they went full term, seeing as they were twins, but now that they were premature…that made a big difference. A _terrifying _difference.

"You're going to feel some pinching or pulling now…" The doctor said, and I saw Bella bite her lip anxiously. Her eyes were squeezed shut and she was no longer holding onto me. Her hand was limp and warm in mine. "Alright, here's baby number one." The doctor said, and I inhaled sharply when he held up a tiny little baby. "It's a girl."

"She's not crying." Bella mumbled, not opening her eyes. "Why isn't she crying?"

The doctor continued, ducking behind the blue blanket that separated us from the babies again. My eyes followed the nurse as she quickly cleaned up the baby and then our daughter was taken away before I could even blink. I looked back down at Bella, squeezing her hand tightly in mine as I tried to calm down. It was an overwhelmingly awful feeling, knowing that your newborn child was helpless and unable to breathe properly. If anything happened…

And then I was distracted by a loud mewling noise, and the doctor held up a second baby. "And here's the boy…his lungs are a little more developed, he probably won't need to be hooked up to the ventilator for long." The doctor said, smiling. I forced myself to smile, watching as the nurse took away my son, too. "Congratulations." I nodded, looking down at Bella and kissing the top of her head.

"They'll be okay." I whispered in her ear, stroking her matted hair softly. "You'll be okay too. I love you."

"I love you too." Bella murmured, opening her eyes slightly. I could see that her beautiful brown eyes were glassy and red.

"Mrs. Cullen, we're going to wheel you to recovery now." One of the nurses said, her voice far to perky and chipper. "Mr. Cullen, you'll have to excuse us." She said, and then in the blink of an eye they were all gone. I slowly made my way back to the waiting room, still wearing my scrubs. How had this all passed so quickly? I checked my watch and my eyes widened with disbelief when I saw that it was only three in the afternoon. It had only been eleven hours, and already things were drastically different.

When I got into the waiting room, Alice immediately shot up out of her seat and made her way over to me. "Well?" She asked expectantly, her eyes and smile both bright and cheerful. When she really looked at me, though, her happiness faded slightly. "Are you alright? What's wrong?" She asked, sounding worried.

"Alice…what do you _think_ is wrong?" I asked in a low voice. "They can't _breathe_." I said, my voice catching in my throat.

"It'll be okay, Edward." Alice murmured, wrapped her arms around me and hugging me tightly. She only came up to my chest, but she gave the biggest and most comforting hugs I had ever known. "Gavin has been asking for you and Bella." Alice added softly, squeezing me one last time before taking a step back.

I nodded, looking past Alice and over to where Emmet, Rosalie, Jasper, and Gavin were sitting by the window. I slowly made my way over to them, and then scooped my son up into my arms. "Hey." I murmured, planting a kiss on his pudgy cheek. "How's my guy?"

Gavin laughed, reaching up and playing with the rough, itchy collar of the scrubs I wore. "Where's mommy?" He asked curiously, and again my voice caught in my throat.

"She's resting." I told him, and stepped away from everyone else for a moment so that I could have a private word with my mom. "Do you remember when I told you all about the babies that mommy had in her tummy?" I asked, feeling ridiculous for using words like 'mommy' and 'tummy' in a conversation that was really actually serious. Gavin nodded, his eyes big and wide with curiosity as always. "Well, mommy had the babies." I said, and Gavin immediately clapped his hands together excitedly, babbling on about his new 'fwends' because he couldn't quite say 'friends'. "Do you want to go see them?" I asked. "We can't play with them, but we can go look."

"Yes!" Gavin said, and then wriggled out of my arms. "I can walk all by myself." He informed me, and I smiled wistfully as I heard his typical toddler lisp. "Aunt Ali! I have new fwends!" He called, walking as fast as he could back to my brothers and their girlfriends.

"Yay!" Alice cheered. "Are you going to go and see them?" She asked, glancing at me as she spoke.

I nodded, playing with the wristband of my watch. "Yeah, and then we're going to go and see Bella." I said, and Alice nodded in understand. "I don't know if you guys are allowed in the NICU or not…" I added.

"It's fine." Jasper said quickly, while the others all quickly agreed. "You go, and let us know how everything is going. And by the way, mom and Carlisle will be here soon, and dad should get here some time tonight." I nodded, not really caring about anything but the present. After coaxing Gavin into my arms again, we set off towards the NICU.

Of course, we couldn't actually be with the twins. They were in a separate room…but there was a wall of glass so we could see inside. "That's your brother and sister." I told Gavin, pointing to the two ventilators. "They're really little, so they had to go in those for a little while." I explained as Gavin pressed his hands and face up against the glass. "Hey, cut it out." I murmured.

I stood there a little longer, just watching. I couldn't really see the twins, but it was comfort just to know that they were safe, although they were both just beyond my reach. I stood there for what felt like hours but was really minutes, until Gavin yanked on the collar of my shirt.

"We have to see mommy!" He ordered cheerfully, because he obviously didn't understand the situation. He thought that this was totally normal.

"Yeah, let's go see mommy." I eventually said, and then I forced myself to turn away.

……

**So it's a little sad, I know. And it's a little incorrect, too, because I know that in a lot of hospitals children under a certain age aren't allowed in the NICU. But let's ignore that for now, alright? Just let me know what you thought.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie **


	8. Author's Note

**Hi, everyone. So this isn't Mellie, it's her friend Keely. At 12:54 am central time, Mellie gave birth to a **_**beautiful**_** little girl after going into labor yesterday after (about ten days early). Mother and daughter are both doing great, and Mellie just wanted to let everyone know that everything is good and that she hopes to update again soon. Also, thank you for all the kind wishes throughout her entire pregnancy, I know that it meant a lot to her and Jensen. Like I said, the baby is a girl and weighed in at six pounds three ounces and is named Blakely Olivia Anderson. **

**Again, thanks for all the kind words and support. **

**Mellie says that she wants to try and update this weekend, but obviously she might not be able to. I'll probably type it up for her, and she says the next one she wants to update is either 'Commander in Chief' or 'Eye of the Beholder'. **

**Xoxo- Mellie, Jensen, Blakely and Keely.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi, everyone. This is Keely, one of Mellie's best friends! I've been typing up chapters for her since Blakely was born. Luckily, she has most of these chapters ready and typed up and all I have to do is go through and edit some of the stuff and add a little more. So that's all I've been doing for her. Right now Mellie and Blakely and Jensen are visiting with some of their family members…so I'm kind of on my own for this one, because Mel needs a break, at least in my opinion! I hope it turns out okay, and just let us know, it would be much appreciated.**

**P.S. Blakely and Mellie are still both doing really good, thank you for all the kind thoughts and wishes and congratulations.**

……

EPOV 

"Mommy!" Gavin wriggled out of my arms right as we walked into the hospital room where Bella was situated. She was laying down on the bed, and sat up slightly as Gavin and I walked into the room. Gavin was at her side in an instant, hoisting himself up onto the hospital bed. And before I could stop him, he dove onto Bella and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. Bella winced visibly, clenching her teeth and crying out in pain. "What's wrong?" Gavin asked, looking between Bella and I with confusion.

"It's okay, you just accidentally hurt-" I started to explain, but Bella quickly cut me off.

"Oh, it's nothing." Bella said, shooting me a dark look, shaking her head in my direction. "Here, why don't you sit next to me?" She suggested, and I quietly stepped forward and picked Gavin up under the arms, moving him to the side of the bed before sitting down as well and reaching for one of Bella's hands. "What's going on?" She asked me softly as Gavin sat between us, oblivious. I rubbed the back of my neck, hesitant to answer. I really did not want to upset her like this. "Edward, they are my _children_. Tell me what is happening with them, please."

I nodded. "They're both hooked up on the ventilator and are in these incubator things, but the boy is doing much better than the girl. He should be able to breathe on his own by tomorrow, maybe the next day." I said softly, and Bella bit her lip, staring up at the ceiling. I saw tears in her eyes, but I didn't know what to do to make it better.

"My new fwends?" Gavin asked, perking up instantly.

Bella nodded, pushing his hair off of his forehead with a loving touch. "Your new friends." She confirmed. "You'll love them." Gavin nodded, burrowing his face into Bella's long hair. Bella smiled down at him, running her fingers through his short hair before looking back up at me. "We should probably name our little bundles of joy, huh?" She asked, and I nodded, grateful that Bella was able to make things sound a little better.

……

"Aren't they _beautiful_?" Esme gushed, pressing her hands up against the glance and then looking towards me with a big smile on her face.

"They are." I said softly, touching one hand to the glass briefly before pulling away. I glanced over at Carlisle, who was holding Gavin in his arms, smiling at Esme as she looked towards her two brand new grandchildren.

Esme smiled widely. "What are their names, dear? How much did they weigh?" She inquired. Esme and Carlisle had just arrived at the hospital about fifteen minutes ago, and they were already totally infatuated with their new granddaughter and grandson. And they hadn't even gotten to hold them yet.

"Bella named the girl- Colby Isabelle. She was four pounds nine ounces." I murmured, focusing on my daughter with a smile on my face. "I named the boy- Aidan Masen. He was five pounds three ounces. And his lungs are further developed, so he could be off the ventilator tomorrow or maybe the next day. Colby…not so much." My voice cracked slightly, and I wanted nothing more than to just hold the new babies in my arms. I hadn't even gotten to do that yet, and they were five hours old. "She'll be on the ventilator in a couple of days, maybe a week." I said.

Carlisle clapped me on the back, still holding Gavin. "She'll be fine, Edward. Both of them will be. You and Bella have strong babies, like this little guy."

"Definitely." Esme agreed, giving me a big hug and then cupping the side of my face with one of her hands. "And they have such beautiful names, Edward. I love them." She murmured, and then turned around and continued to look through the glass. "Are we…aren't you allowed to go in there? I know you can't touch them, but you can go in can't you?" She looked towards Carlisle, who nodded and looked at me questioningly.

"Why haven't you gone in, son?" Carlisle asked. I liked that he called me 'son', even though we had no real bloodline relation to each other. My own father was great, but Carlisle had been here for me for a long time. He and my mother had been dating for years now, and I knew that the only reason that they weren't getting married was because Esme had said no. He had asked her, though. She just turned him down. Which was something that I really didn't understand. She had been the one to pressure Bella and I into getting married, but obviously she felt different about her own relationship.

"I'm scared." I admitted, looking down at Gavin. He had fallen asleep in Carlisle's arms ten minutes ago, and hadn't stirred since.

No one spoke for a moment, and then Esme gave me another hug. "Do you want me to go in with you?" She asked me, and I hesitated for a moment before nodding.

"Yes, please."

……

**That was a mixture of Mel and I…I hope I did okay with editing and stuff. It's also a little short, but Mellie is out of contact until she gets home later tonight. This is it. Please review, and let Mellie and I know what you think.**

**Xoxo- Mellie and Keely, and Blakely!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Last chapter. It's sad, no? I loved writing this story and the first one, 'Painted' as well. Thanks for sticking with me through both of them and through the little delays we've had along the way. I really appreciate your reviews and support, so thank you for that as well. It always means a lot to have such supportive, wonderful readers. As of right now the story has 188 reviews. Do you think we could make it 200 for the very last chapter?**

**Also, I have a short story posted. It's a sad, tearjerker three-shot called 'Toujours' and I just completed all of the three chapters today. If you happen to have the time, please go and check that one out and leave a review telling me what you thought!**

…

EPOV 

"No, wait." I stopped Esme, putting my hand on her shoulder. "Bella…she needs to see them." I said determinedly, looking over my shoulder for a nurse. I walked over to the first one I saw, dressed in bright pink scrubs adorned with cartoon characters. "Excuse me, miss, but my son and daughter," I gestured towards the glass wall "are in there. Is there any way they could be wheeled into my wife's room, even if it's just for a few minutes?"

The nurse looked confused for a moment but nodded. "Yes, sir. Are they on ventilators?"

"Yes. And they're being incubated." I explained.

"Just come with me." The nurse said with a friendly smile, and I grinned over at Esme and Carlisle and Gavin, giving them a thumbs up. Gavin returned the gesture excitedly, making me laugh. After the nurse and I ironed out some things, Esme and Gavin and I walked into Bella's hospital room along with two nurses, pushing Colby and Aidan along. Bella sat up immediately, wincing slightly due to her stitches but still smiling through the pain.

"We'll come up later to bring them back to the NICU." The nurse said kindly, and then she and the other nurse quietly left the room, closing the door behind him.

Bella's eyes were filled with tears as she examined our brand new, tiny, perfect son and daughter. She touched her hands up against the thin wall between her and Colby, and a few tears slid down her pale cheeks. "Thanks." She whispered, glancing up at me. I smiled back at her and kissed the top of her head as I sat down on the bed next to her. "Come here, baby." Bella murmured, and Esme quickly situated Gavin on the bed next to Bella.

"They're beautiful babies, Bella. Congratulations." Esme said kindly, and leaned over to give Bella a big hug. "I already told Edward, but I love their names. Original and perfectly suited to them." She said, proudly looking down at her two newest grandchildren. "Just like Gavin." She added gently touching my oldest son's pudgy cheek.

"Thank you." Bella said warmly, a little brightness returning to her beautiful brown eyes. "And they are beautiful, aren't they? She added with a sigh. "I just wish I could hold them."

"I know, B." I said, stroking her soft brown hair. "But when we get the all clear, your arms will be the first ones to hold them." I promised. "And then me, of course." I added, and both Esme and Bella chuckled softly. We all sat there for about ten minutes, talking quietly and admiring the twins. After a little while, though, I decided that the five of us would need a little family time. "Mom, would you mind excusing us for just a little while?" I asked, and Esme quickly obliged, kissing Bella and Gavin and I each on the forehead before hurrying out of the hospital room to find Carlisle and my brothers.

Gavin was dozing off next to Bella, leaning his head against her arm. Bella was lazily running her fingers through his short hair, her eyes focused on the twins. Eventually, she turned to me and smiled. "How are you going to fit their names?" She asked curiously, touching my chest through my shirt; in the spot where I had her and Gavin's names tattooed above my heart.

"They'll fit." I assured Bella, placing my hand atop of hers. "They'll just have to be a little smaller, that's all. I'll have Emmet do them for me when I go back to work. And I'll add them here, too." I said, pointing to the vine of ivy on my upper arm that already held my name, Bella's, and Gavin's. "What about you? Are you going to add their names to _your_ collection of body art?"

Bella laughed, cupping my cheek with her small, warm hand. "Let's wait until the pain of the c-section wears off until I get another tattoo, okay?" She said lightly, and I laughed, leaning over and kissing her on the lips.

"I love you, B. With all my heart." I said honestly, and Bella smiled at me, her brown eyes dark and full of pure, blissful love.

"I love you, too." She murmured.

…

BPOV, Two Years Later:

I looked at my three sleepy children loving, touching each of their soft cheeks before cuddling back up against Edward's side. Gavin was closest to me, his face burrowed into my stomach with his arms wrapped tightly around my waist. Colby was smashed up behind him; her front pressed into his back. And Aidan was content on Edward's chest while Edward spooned against me.

The five of us were all lying in Edward and I's bed one lazy Saturday night, just before bedtime. I turned my head slightly and smiled up at Edward, kissing him gently on the lips before looking at my children again, taking them all in. Quietly, practically under my breath, I spoke. "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, As long as I'm living  
my baby you'll be."

…**..**

**The end. It was a bit short, I know, but I accomplished what I wanted to convey in the story. I don't think there's a greater love than between a mother and her family.**

**Please review!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


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